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The One Public Estate (OPE) Programme, a partnership between LGA, Cabinet Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), have officially launched the next round of the Brownfield Land Release Fund programme.
BLRF2.4 is formed of a £19.8 million pot aimed at supporting councils across the UK in unlocking brownfield land that they own specifically for housing. This fund is available to be spent during 2025-2026.
Unlike previous funds, the BLRF will continue to invite applications until the fund is exhausted.
The BLRF2.4 has been identified to support the UK Government’s mission to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the course of this parliament. The funding will support projects that can release land swiftly and help to realise this objective.
There are a number of key elements that local authorities must consider when applying for BLRF2.4.
1) The proposed funds must only used on projects taking place on brownfield land
2) The proposal must support the delivery of housing and the type of housing should fall into one of the following categories:
a market home
an affordable or starter home
build to rent
student accommodation (to note, 4 student rooms equate to 1 home)
key worker accommodation (including health and military service personnel and family accommodation, provided this adds to the net housing supply)
retirement/care apartments (which count as dwellings/homes)
a care home (to note, 4 care home rooms is equivalent to 1 home).
3) The number of homes delivered by the funding should be quantified
4) Applications must achieve a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.0 or above after both the BCR and non-monetised impacts (NMIs) are considered, to pass the Value for Money gateway criteria. There is no minimum BCR score required for schemes to use NMIs.
The following councils can apply:
Borough Councils
County Councils
District Councils
London Borough Councils
Metropolitan Borough Councils
Unitary Councils.
Greater London Authority but only the GLA only and not the whole GLA Group
Mayoral Combined Authorities
Greater Manchester Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority, and their constituent councils with full voting rights will not be eligible to receive funding, as an Integrated Settlement has been provided. Councils in these MCAs should approach their Combined Authority to understand local funding opportunities.
The brownfield land release fund 2.4 is aimed towards small and medium-sized sites. Looking at BLRF2 projects as a baseline, the average size of a successful site was 54 homes, while the median was 26.
Councils should seek to apply for up to £2 million of funding; however in exceptional circumstances, if a strong case can be made which addresses deliverability, risk management and project governance, a larger amount of funding can be requested.
Applications can be made at any time while there are still funds available. Any project must be in contract by 31st March 2026 and the land released by 30 September 2027.
The Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.4 supports upfront capital investment in order to create a viable scheme. It can be used for:
Site levelling, groundworks, demolition, remediation
Provision of small-scale infrastructure
Highway works or other access challenges
Addressing environmental constraints
External works, substructure and piling
Asbestos removal
Sewer diversions
On-site Biodiversity Net Gain mitigations and other natural environmental mitigations
Physical works for site activation (such as hoardings, welfare facilities, skips etc)
The following are not eligible for funding through BLRF2.4:
Revenue costs, such as officer time, work management fees, professional fees, planning fees and planning consultancy, design fees, highways inspection and management and project management including revenue costs associated with site activation.
Early stage feasibility studies
Community engagement
Off-site infrastructure unless directly related and proportionate to the scheme
Design/planning costs
Procurement costs
Costs related to the construction of the housing
Most site investigations, unless directly associated with facilitating another eligible cost.
Continuum has extensive experience in supporting local authorities in applying for grant funding. We provide practical guidance across every part of the process, from viability assessment and value-for-money analysis to narrative development and bid preparation. Our team ensures your submission is compliant, evidence-led and capable of unlocking challenging brownfield sites. Visit out contact form or email info@continuum-dm.com
